Gymnast Simone Biles has won again in her return to competition after a hiatus to overcome her psychological problems. The basketball World Cup is already being played without the presence of Ricky Rubio, who has interrupted his career to take care of his mental health. Naomi Osaka, Michael Phelps, Andrés Iniesta… the list of famous athletes who have confessed to depression problems or drowning under the weight of the pressure of success is long. But what about grassroots athletes, children or teenagers who dream of being champions?
“The general message must be very clear and it is none other than that sport is tremendously healthy for health and mental health”, affirms Víctor Pérez Solà, director of the Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions at the hospital of Sea of ??Barcelona “But there are two aspects that are worth highlighting – says Pérez Solà. One is when sport becomes an obsession, and the other, when it is a way of life, since professional sport is very stressful.”
For the psychiatrist, it must be borne in mind that those who live from sport suffer enormous demands and that behind every champion “there are a lot of aspirants who fall by the wayside and must redo their goals in order to have a satisfying life “. “Most succeed, but some end up having problems”, he adds.
More worrying is when sport becomes an obsession, especially in people for whom the image has an exceptional value. “In teenagers, the physical image and the ability to be influenced by others is higher than in adults and that is why they are more at risk of falling into these situations that are actually addictions, in which anxiety or feelings of guilt are generated”. says Pérez.
For parents who see their sons or daughters spending many hours in the gym or playing sports, there are several warning signs. One would be when they start using hormones or anabolics. Another, when life routines change. And, finally, when they are isolated or detect very abrupt changes in their behavior or academic performance.
“Although it must be emphasized that cases of sports addiction are exceptional, at least in a public medical consultation, where it is much more common to see cases of addiction to screens, mobile phones or video games”, says Víctor Pérez.
María Cabrera Bolufer, sports psychologist and team coach, is used to dealing with blockages, problems of anxiety and low motivation, among others. “Despite the fact that sport is fundamental for their development and that they sign up for fun or to be with friends, as they play they can feel the external pressure of wanting to meet their parents’ expectations and this conditions the way behave”, he indicates.
According to the psychologist, who has collaborated with professional football teams such as Málaga or Levante, the detection of this type of problem in children or adolescents requires awareness on the part of schools, clubs and sports federations and for the joint work of coaches with psychology professionals who are integrated into the sports organization charts.
Once the problem is detected, explains María Cabrera, “the important thing is to work with the families, who must be aware of the situation and must have the necessary advice to be able to help the children”.
The individual characteristics of each athlete (personality, pressure management, previous experiences…), the environment or the external resources at their disposal will be fundamental, according to the opinion of the psychologist María Cabrera. “And then we work with the children in a practical and fun way, with sessions to train psychological skills and techniques that allow them to better manage pressure, tolerance to frustration, anxiety”, he adds.
“The important thing is the social network that the teenager can have”, points out Víctor Pérez. “If he has it, the parents can be calm, but if he doesn’t and the child changes his behavior abruptly or isolates himself, and spends many hours in sports, then I would advise asking him if he has a problem, but without dramatization; sport is good”, insists the psychiatrist at the Hospital del Mar.
